lies, rumors, and erroneous information spread about musicians at your school as a wee thing

"bowie is biosexual" (note spelling)

Various rumours about punk bands (all unnamed, "I heard it from my brother in London") went the rounds in '76/'77:

that there was a band who killed themselves en masse on stage during a gig.

that there was a band who wouldn't go onstage unless they all had boners.

that the singer from a punk band murdered an audience member mid-set with a chainsaw.

(most weirdly) that the boomtown rats(!) had a video in which domestic cats were electrocuted during the course of the song (!!! I know!! what the fuck!!)

I have no idea where any of this came from, unless one of my peers had a really fucked imagination/soh. We believed it all though. (we were, like, 12)

Also, around 95 or so, that Dave Matthews had AIDS.

I believe that this band was Motorhead.

Terminator X was white, and this was the reason all Public Enemy band photos were shot in monochrome so nobody would know.

kurt cobain killed himself because he had aids, "teen spirit" was about aids.

Two GG Allin suicide-on-stage stories - 1) he was going to go onstage firing a machine gun, or 2) he was going to shove a stick of dynamite up his ass and light it, then jump into the crowd. TBH there are enough real documented on film incidents of Allin crapping on stage, drinking pee from a bottle, etc., that just about anything is believable about him.

Luther Vandross didn't invent the Luther burger, but was a bit fan of them, and (here's the sketchy bit) he invented the practice of turning over the donut halves so that the icing is on the inside, because he was fed up of getting sticky fingers.

A bit later than school, but a friend claimed and I believed that Autechre used to be Jive Bunny.

In my school, during the mid 80s, there was a cruel rumour being spread about George Michael being gay. The girls were very upset by us boys spreading such a vicious rumour........

The stomach pump story mentioned several times upthread probably existed as an urban legend about a random cheerleader before it was attached to any pop star:

http://www.snopes.com/college/risque/cheerleader.asp

http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/rockstar.asp

According to the Snopes page on the pop star version of the story it's also been told of Jon Bon Jovi, which sounds a bit odd to me. I've never heard of him having a "gay" reputation.

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/Entertainment/Clarissa/ceia.gif

Btw, I've heard the "gross-out contest" story mentioned upthread being told of Alice Cooper and Frank Zappa. The version I heard was that they were on stage at the same time (the story doesn't explain why they would have shared a stage), and decided to have a contest on who could the grossest thing in front of the audience. So Alice Cooper pulls down his pants and shits on the stage, then gets up with a smile on his face, thinking he has won. But then Zappa eats the shit.

"overindulgent cheerleader"
wau

Huh, I didn't realise there were that many variations on the "stomach pump" story...

"George Michael is gay!"

― Michael B, Thursday, March 4, 2004 9:23 AM (thirteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The version at our school was 'George Michael had a sex change!'

All three of the Beastie Boys died of drug overdoses sometime after License to Ill was released.

James Brown loved his drummer so much he wanted him to fly to Sweden to get a sex change operation, so he could marry him.

A bit later than school, but a friend claimed and I believed that Autechre used to be Jive Bunny.

― Neil S, Saturday, September 13, 2008 2:03 PM (eight years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think this one might be my favourite of the ones posted so far!

It's a good one but clearly way off. Everyone knows that Autechre used to be the Jump in the Saddle Band.